Untouchable
by Moon Witch '96
Summary: She is untouchable. He would do anything just to see her again, to just see her even for one moment. He is untouchable, like the faintest dream that may have never happened. She like him, would do anything just to see him. Soon, they will face one another again,only against the darkness that separates them. Will they rise above to light,or will they fall and remain in darkness? R
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Two years... Two long years he thought with a slight grimace on his lips. Two years had passed since that girl's victory, and he felt her absence and refusal of him eating at him still. She hadn't been more than a game... Hadn't she? He hadn't really loved her, he had only lied to keep her tied to him and to win the game... Was that the true lie? His gaze flickered toward the crystal ball and he focused harder, hoping with a vain hope that her hated face would appear on the surface of the crystal... HA! 'Hated?' What an utter lie... He would do anything to see that 'hated' face. He would do anything to see her green eyes once again. To see that pale and haunting face within his sights again. He would grovel at the girl's very feet if only he could see that beloved form even for just a moment... He would do anything to reach that untouchable girl that had disappeared off the realm of his crystals... Even her friends said that though they heard the girl's pleas to go to her, they could not reach her either... Something dark, they said, was blocking her... Something cruel was covering her and hiding her from them... From him... It was to much to bear... He wondered, with a faint, but strong and completely soul consuming longing, if she too, missed him, with even the minimal amount of love that he felt for her..._


	2. Dread

**Chapter One: Dread **

"_Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping... __**As **__of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door... 'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door - __**Only **__this, and nothing more.'_ " whispered out a soft, haunting voice.

Pale, and plump lips parted a moment for soft breath, before the lips moved again in tune with even more haunting words.

"_**Ah**__, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor..." _recited that haunting voice, the owner of said voice's green eyes glittering in the stage light, bright and full of life.

Again, those pale lips took a soft breath, before continuing, ignoring the whispered that echoed across the room, filling the ears of the owner of those lips, yet not, for she did not care about those unkind whispers. All that mattered was the _Raven,_ and nothing more.

"_Eagerly __**I **__wished the morrow; - __**vainly **__I had sought to borrow... From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost __**Lenore**__ - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name __**Lenore**__ - __**Nameless**__ here for evermore._" whispered out that voice with passion intertwined with it, pain twisting onto their face at the mention of _Lenore_.

The owner of those lips eyes closed, utter and naked fear and grief on their pale face as they continued, hands clutching at their chest, and slender frame trembling.

"_And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain __**Thrilled**__ me - filled me with fantastic terrors __**never **__felt before; So that now, to still the __**beating**__ of my heart, I stood repeating,' 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and __**nothing**__ more.'_" cried out the voice, eyes snapping open, filled with a nervous light of terror.

The owner of the lips trembled even stronger, their eyes trained out to the red velvet seats, focused on nothing, yet at everything as the opened their pale lips to continue, before a large, wooden clapboard snapped in front of their face, inches away from their small nose. The owner of lips flinched, green eyes wide, and wondering what on earth she had done wrong as the theater director yelled out:

"_**STOP**_!" in a loud and rude voice, small and black eyes glaring at her.

The girl, or the owner of the lips, frowned with said lips, and shifted from foot to foot in impatient movement. Her small hand moved up to remove the dark, raven strands of hair that had fallen across her face during her performance, and tucked it behind her ears in a delicate manner. She gave the man a steady look with her piercing green eyes, and noticed with some satisfaction that the theater director flinched a little under her gaze, before he glared at her with even more ferocity.

"Did I do something wrong Mr. Fellows?" asked the girl in a dry voice, brows raised.

The theater director only gave a slight growl, eyes rolling as he gave the girl a steady and somewhat pathetic glare.

"Miss. Williams, may I remind you, you are auditioning for the play of _**Macbeth**_, not a Gothic horror story." snapped back Mr. Fellows, impatience and complete dislike leaking into his tone.

The girl, or Miss. Williams, only gave the man a look of impatience, which bordered on a look that meant that he was a very, very stupid man in her estimation.

"Mr. Fellows, I _**know**_ that. I was simply reciting a poem for my vocal performance, and as I think most would read directly from the script, and I find that completely boring, and a little repetitive. I thought if I gave you something with a sort of similar tone, you could see that I had potential to perform in the play." responded Miss. Williams, eyes just stopping from rolling themselves at the man's attitude.

He knew nothing of the world of acting reflected Sarah Williams with a frown as he ordered her off the stage with a bellowing voice and scarlet face. He was the science teacher, and though he was good at that(though not any less ruder), he made for a very poor director indeed. He had no vision and he only ever chose was his daughter, Alice Fellows for the main roles. Plus, for some utterly mad reason, he decided the second he saw Sarah that she would never get a part in any school production. He hated her with no big motivation, except for the fact that she was a better actress than his daughter... Which she figured was a given... She knew she was good, and she wasn't just saying that for vanity's sake, no, she _**knew**_ she was good. She had a physical form of proof. For heaven's sake, just a few months ago she had been offered a role in her mother's _**professional**_ acting troop, during the summer when she had been visiting her.

She had accepted the role without a thought, much to the delight of her mother, as it turned out that she was such a good actor that they had allowed her to play a role! Granted, she had only been a fairy, but hey, it was a role nonetheless. And a main supporting character as well... Oh, what a simply wonderful and completely freeing experience that had been. It had let her forget all of her troubles, all of her pains, and all of the just simple annoyances that came with being a teenage girl. She had just been an actress then, nothing more, nothing less. She wasn't the girl touch by the magic of something that had left her utterly altered. She wasn't the girl that called out every night to the friends that never answered, and that was haunted by dreams and nightmares of them... She wasn't that strange girl that was never the same since then. No. She had just been an actress. She had just been a fairy helping out the boy who wanted to go home from the magical kingdom he had been transporter to...

Sarah had to admit though, her favorite part had been when they had visited the big city that had been near here... It had been a normal Saturday night, nothing big and nothing more when her mother had taken her off to the side and shown her just who exactly had been in the audience that day... The look on the faces of her father, brother and step-mother was something she would never forget... The looks of shock and pride, the look of total adoration, and the look of completely furious awe. Priceless...

Sarah was torn out of her musings as she walked off the stage with a grace that lead many of the girls in the room to glare and many of the boys to stare at the way her hips moved, delicate and not at all slutty, but with a beat that made their hormonal gazes linger. It wasn't as if there was very much to look at thought Sarah, as she was very slender, though she did have slight curves. Again, they weren't, at least in her opinion that much to look at, but they were lovely and just simply_** her's**_.

At the moment, Sarah was clad in tight and dark jeans, and brown and dusty old boots that allowed for much more movement that many would believe. Her upper body was graced with a lovely cream blouse, which sleeves were long and moved dramatically with her every step. Sarah's waist length hair was in silky and almost completely down, save for a the few odd braids that she had done in boredom that morning when she had been getting ready for school. Her face was bare of any makeup, and looked even more beautiful that most in the room thought completely possible. Most in the room hated her. The girls did because of her talent and pure beauty, as well as for kindness. The boys did because she had turned them down, however kindly, at some point. But the thing that never ceased to annoy both the girls and the boys in the room was the fact that she seemed so damn untouchable.

Sarah Williams was a mystery to all whoever saw her, and though kind to everyone, their was always a factor or two that lead even the few people she called friends to wonder just who she was. Up until two years ago, she had been just as normal as the rest of them, but for some odd reason, she had become very different one day out of the blue. It had been a Monday, and it had been in her freshmen year when she had come back very different indeed. She had been paler, and her green eyes had seemed all that much more greener. As if by magic her freckles had gone, and her teeth looked straighter and whiter than before. She had grown ever so slightly in height, and her hair had seemed much too long. And her attitude had changed as well, she much kinder and there was always a look of sadness in her gaze. No one, not even her parents could really explain the change in the girl. No one that is, but Sarah herself.

Her friends had disappeared. Or more specifically they had stop coming. Not her human friends, no, though some of them had left her when she had started acting so 'weird' two years ago. Her goblin friends had stopped answering her calls on the Sunday after that fateful Labyrinth beating Saturday, and it had almost torn her apart. Some part of her wondered if it had been all a dream, her time in the Labyrinth. Another part of her wanted to hate them because it knew that the Labyrinth wasn't a dream, and that they had abandoned her completely. But she couldn't hate them... as much as she wanted to... She just simply couldn't. Whether they were truly just a figment of her deluded mind, or were really real, they were still her friends... She would really do anything to see them... Any of them... Even the Goblin King would be a relief to see, cause it would prove that she wasn't as insane... Or, well, less insane than she thought she was.

Sarah was shocked when a familiar melody sounded on her wrist, and she swore loudly, hand lifting up to smack her forehead in pure annoyance. Ignoring the irate sound of Mr. Fellows shouting at her, Sarah ran away from the stage at a fast pace, green eyes glancing down to check her wrist watch... It was five o'clock! Why had Mr. Fellows made her audition last? He knew she only had 'till five... She was late! That petty man did it on propose! With that in her mind, Sarah ran with all the power in her long legs, with not much thought picking up her small black backpack and stuffing her script inside, before tearing out of her the auditorium without another break in her stride. It took Sarah ten minutes of running to get to her destination. And to her dismay, the day-care owner was in front of the building, foot tapping and a frown her lips, big beefy hand clutching a small pale one with gentle force, but little patience. Sarah, once again swore, but this time quietly and under her breath, so as not to teach Toby any foul language, because her father and step-mother were already quite out out when her little brother had muttered 'damn' the other day...

Sarah took one look into the day-care owner face to know that he had done something rather big today, but she ignored that for a second to glance down at Toby. Big blue eyes gazed at her with the utmost fondness, and love, those pale little hands reaching out to her, stretched out wide as he toddled over to her. Sarah felt her heart melt a little at the sight, and fondly played with the blonde curls on his head before she picked up her three year old little brother, easily placing him on her hip, a smile on her lips when he placed a very sloppy kiss on her cheek, which she returned without pause. The day-care owner face was scowling, ruddy and unpleasant as she looked at the pair of them, but Sarah saw that the woman's dark eyes softened, if just a little at the display of her and her brother's affection.

"He set the play room on fire you know..." muttered the owner after a moment, a look of fake dislike placed on her face as she glared at Toby.

Sarah suppressed both a laugh and a grimace, somehow, and just gave the woman a shrug.

"That's all?" she asked dryly, eyebrows raised.

The woman gave out a rusty chuckle, and gave her a steady look, that still held a little fondness in the dark eyes.

"'Fraid so... Though I have to say, I'm a little disappointed, I expect more of a bang today, you know? It is Friday, after all... It was more of a mini fire, which he put out himself..." said the woman thoughtfully.

This time Sarah didn't hold back her laughter, which rang out like a bell.

"How can you keep accepting him?" she asked with a smile to the day-care owner, Ms. Fisk.

Ms. Fisk shrugged, dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

"He keeps me young, and you wouldn't perform your little plays for us, would you?" asked Ms. Fisk.

Sarah just shook her head violently, and gave the woman a reassuring smile, telling her with just her body language that she would do the 'little plays' even if Toby was forbidden from coming to the day-care at all, because, unlike what most would think, she rather enjoyed volunteering at the day-care. Plus, it gave her a chance to practice a multitude of characters in front of a crowd, rowdy toddlers or not, they gave her a rather accurate display of emotions and reactions. Plus, the look of sheer delight she saw on their small faces was enough for her to come everyday, if she could that is. She bid Ms. Fisk goodbye with a cheery wave, and walked off Toby bouncing on her shoulders, his little fist clamped firmly in her hair, the other sucking on his thumb.

Toby talked about his day in quiet murmurs, and in sentences that weren't that long as they walked along the familiar path to their home. It amazed Sarah that Toby was such a quiet toddler. He had been such a loud, annoying baby... Now, he only ever spoke full sentences to Sarah herself, and in monosyllables to everyone else, including, much to his mother's furry, her and their father. Sarah didn't mind. She loved her brother to death, and only ever felt shame when she thought how she had wished him away. It was a bit of a bitter sweet action for her really, she had gone on such an incredible adventure because of a few malicious and dissented words on her part. She had practically lost her little brother because of something she had said... But she had learned so much, changed so much along the way...

"Sarah?" muttered Toby suddenly, going completely still.

Sarah adjusted Toby's legs a bit her shoulders, giving his right leg a little pat.

"What's wrong Toby?" she whispered back.

His fists tighten a little on her hair, and she felt him tremble.

"Make him go away..." he whimpered out.

It was then that she saw it. It large, sleek, and completely gorgeous. Its feathers was the blackest of night, and shone with the gleam of twilight. The eyes were the lightest of slivers and most piercing, gleaming in the light of dusk, and glaring right at her. Sarah stopped in her tracks, some primal part of her screaming at her to run. Her heart started to race, and her pulse roared in her ears as Toby whimpered even louder, burying his face into her hair. Then it long and pointed beak opened. The loudest, most horrible sounded pounded through her ears, overcoming even her own pulse. Her throat was soon sore, and it was only when she gasped for breath did she notice that she had been screaming, and unable to hear it because of the thing. When its wings outstretched themselves, and it dove for them, Sarah started to run, swinging Toby off of her head and onto her back for easier movement. Its terrible shriek still echoed in both their ears, even as both her and Toby screamed. Sarah ran with all of her power, ignoring the way Toby's arms clenched shockingly strong around her neck, choking her, and the way that his sweet little voice screamed in her ear to run.

She obeyed. In fact, Sarah didn't stop running until she made it home, out of breath and completely terrified. Toby clutched to her, sobbing, face buried into her neck. Somewhere along the way, he had become attached to her torso, like a baby monkey. Her arms were holding him close, and she sank to the ground, eyes wide as she tried to even out her breath. For the strangest reason, Sarah felt the deepest, darkest, and most truest sense of dread that she had ever felt in her short life. She just knew something terrible was going to happen, and as Toby sobbed into her neck, she wished that it had nothing to do with him... Little did she know, it had to do with **_both_** of them.


	3. Home Is Where The Heart Should Be

**Chapter Two: Home Is Where The Heart Should Be**

Sarah's heart was still beating at that fast and almost painful beat when her step-mother stepped into the hallway, and look of clear dislike on her aging face, her high heeled foot tapping with much ferocity in her impatience. She looked as if she had just stepped out of some fifties magazine reflected Sarah as she tired to calm down her heart. Her blonde and silvery hair was sleek, nor a single strand of those locks was out of place, set in a perfect bun at the nape of her neck. The make-up on her slightly pinched face seemed freshly done, though a little old fashion for Sarah's taste, her yellow dress was ironed to an almost ruler straight degree, and pearls were wrapped around her thin neck. Her step-mother took one look at the still sobbing Toby, before swooping in to wrench him out of Sarah's arms. Or, at least she tired, because at that moment Toby just clutched tightly to Sarah's frame and refused to let go. Her step-mother let out an impatient huff, before she just glared at Sarah with narrowed blue eyes. Her lips twisted into an ugly scowl, and her hands snapped to her thin hips.

"Why are you late? And why is Toby crying?" she snapped to Sarah, clearly upset and worried at the state her son was in.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, that worry extended to her own slightly frighten look, as well as her fast paced breathing, and her slightly rumpled appearance... But Sarah herself just sighed at her harassed looking step-mother, and stood up from the floor where she had fallen in her shock, with as much grace as she could in her slightly unstable state. She gave her step-mother a shaky smile, shifting Toby a little so he came to rest on her hip. Her step-mother just simply narrowed her eyes further, which Sarah thought made her just look as if she was squinting, not glaring as she was obviously trying to do.

"I-... My audition for the theater went a little late.. And... And-... It was just a bird, this big ugly black raven that swooped around our heads... It just spooked him a little...Irene..." said Sarah after a moment, ignoring the way her voice was drenched in a little harshness towards her step-mother's name.

Irene just sighed irritably letting none of her relief come into her tone as she spoke, or as her hands came to rest crossed across her body.

"Sarah. _**Dear**_. We don't ask much of you. Only that you pick up Toby from day care, and on the rare occasion that your father and I go out, for you to care for him... You never even get _**chosen **_for these things anyway, why bother audition? And please, I beg you,_**dear**_, I told you a million times, call me mom. I have been your mother for years." said Irene with much 'patience', a huff in her harassed voice.

Sarah forced down a grimace, and she gave a small sigh. She couldn't exactly say that she auditioned for every play simply because she was too stubborn to not do so. She _**knew**_ she never got a part. She knew that she had no real point in going to them. She knew. It was just that she had to do it. Even to herself she could never really say exactly why she kept going each and every single time. But that wasn't the issues here really, it was the fact that her step-mother was stepping into her life... Again.

"Irene... What I do is really none of your business. I could audition or not audition, for all you really should care I could be opera singer. Plus, you are _**not**_ my mother, so I do not need to call you as such. Again, that is my choice to call you what I want. I don't ask much from you and my father... Despite all I do _**do**_." said Sarah sadly, eyes faraway, ignoring the twinge in her stomach as she threw back her step-mother's words at her.

Sarah saw the small flinch that Irene gave her when she told her she wasn't her mother, and the way hurt flashed through her blue eyes. She felt a tad guilty for speaking like that to her step-mother, but she figured she really had no other choice. She did more than her step-mother and father gave her credit for, really.

Because she kept their precious secrets, as well as doing so much more. She unlike social step-mother wasn't off every other day with her friends, buying who knows what ignoring her chores and Toby and leaving them to Sarah. And she also didn't sell beauty products door to door in a distant city to buy those whats so as not to alarm her father with extensive bills. She also wasn't the one who came home smelling faintly of cheap cigarette smoke each time they came back from their work. She wasn't the one who came home with twitching hands or yellow tinged finger nails. She wasn't the one. Those were Irene and her father. Not her. But she was the one who hide it from the others, if only to save the true love that they shared for the other. For some reason, she didn't want that to be destroyed even though she had all the reason to... Maybe it was because despite all the secrets and lies, her father and step-mother really did love each other. She probably didn't want that to end because of a few petty secrets.

"Oh, Sarah... _**Dear**_... Whatever you say... By the way, have you've gone on a date with that lovely Jimmy boy that came over the other day?" asked her step-mother, seemingly tired of that topic of conversation.

Only she came to a topic that _**Sarah**_ was tired of. Sarah gave an annoyed huff, just barely resiting to roll her eyes.

"No. I turned him down." she snapped to Irene, not being able to control her temper.

She was just had enough of Irene trying to worm her way through into this particular part of her life. It wasn't enough that she tired to control her hobbies, like the stunt of signing her up for the cheer-leading team... Which she would never admit she had loved, because it had reminder her of her gymnastic days as a little girl... She was glad she had shucked her pom-poms aside in turn for a leotard instead, which she really did enjoy... But the point she had tired to morph her into a little mini her as a teenage girl, which she was not going to allow... Especially when it came to this certain area.

"Oh... But... _**Sarah**_... He was such a nice boy. You should date, at your age I had already had over five boyfriends since the eight grade, it's not healthy for you to not date!" said her step-mother with a frown.

I don't hate her, thought Sarah as Irene just gave a little sigh at her when she gave her response via stony silence. Irene fixed the pearls around her neck with thin hand, and ran off to go see to her father, muttering the whole way. Sarah really didn't hate her... But she was just so tired of her trying to get her to be something she wasn't. She wasn't Irene Williams nee Connors, the former cheer-leading captain and prom queen. She was Sarah Williams, the actress, the altered girl that had been touched by magic, which had made her untouchable to those hadn't. The girl with only enough friends to count on a single hand. She was who she was, and despite Irene's well intended meddling, she wasn't going to change that. Because she liked being who she was, even if others didn't share the same sentiment.

Her father came down the hallway soon after a minute or so, following her step-mother with a small smile on his aged face. As they put on their coats, her father slipped over to her, and gave Toby a soft kiss on his forehead, and mumbled I love you before he opened the door and left without so much a glance in Sarah's direction, whistling softly and jingling his car keys in his hand. Sarah ignored the now familiar twinge of sadness in her heart at his treatment, knowing to not really expect much from her father, not when he was so put out with her. Her step-mother gave her father a sad glance, that one at Sarah before giving Toby a kiss on the forehead, then one to Sarah.

"Be safe and be careful, calm Toby down, while I try to talk to your father again. I love you both." she said as she turned away and walked out the door after her husband.

She really didn't hate her thought Sarah with a very small smile as she headed off to the kitchen, bouncing the still whimpering Toby carefully in her arms. Ever since her little fairy stunt, her father had been so distant with her. Not at first, at first he seemed to be the ever proud parent, until she had gotten home from staying with her mother of course. It had started small, the little impatient huffs whenever Sarah would have a script in her hands. The little frowns when she had acted out in front of a giggling Toby. The shakes of his head whenever she asked if she could go see a play or audition for the local theater troop while it was still summer...

Then it had started getting bigger. A few words here and there about how she should focus more on her studies once school started again. The loud interruptions whenever she had really started getting into a role. Then it had gotten even bigger. Her missing scripts. Her shredded costumes. Then it just simply gotten out of hand when her father exploded as she said the words before they were even coming when they had gotten together to watch a movie that she adored, and knew every word of. She had never seen her father so furious before. And she never ever wanted him to be again.

He had shouted to her that she was just like her mother. He had shouted that like her Sarah was throwing her life away practicing the stupid trash that was acting. That she should just stop now and just be a sensible person and get a _**decent **_carrier. That she had to get her head out of the damn clouds now, and save herself. When she had simply responded with a firm no... Her father had simply left her. And he hadn't said a single word to her since. Hadn't so much as glance in her direction, as if she just wasn't even there for him anymore... And it hurt. It hurt to see that her father didn't want to look at her. But she would handle it. It wasn't fair to herself, she knew, but via a certain experience she knew that somethings weren't fair. So there. If her father refused to talk to her, fine. She could take it until he was ready to talk to her again. She had to.

As Sarah entered the kitchen, she flipped on the lights, and started to sing, much to the pleasure of Toby, who giggled in her ear as she walked across the room to the fridge. She picked simple things as she sang softly eyes sparkling as Toby snuggled into her neck, giving out a small little sigh in contentment.

"_Somewhere over the rainbow... Way up high... There's a land that I heard of... Once in a Lullaby..._" she sang softly after she had picked and raided through the fridge to her content, arranging them neatly on the counter.

She was somewhat satisfied with her choices, which were mostly fruit and some left over pasta from the night before. She loved the stuff, and fortunately so did Toby, and she didn't want to feed him anything too heavy for his dinner... As he was usually stuffed full of very heavy and hearty food in Ms. Fisk's daycare. She chopped the apples and sliced the strawberries after she had washed them, and glanced offhandedly at the banana bunch when Toby gave a sharp tug on a look of her long hair, and pointed at it. She grimaced, because she really didn't like bananas, but Toby did, so with a sigh she grabbed one and sliced it as well, grimaced at the mixture when she threw in the bananas. Nonetheless when she was done, and she was still singing, ever softly in her brother's ear as she set up the table.

"_Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue... And the dreams that you dare to dream..._

_Really do come true... _"

She never sang in front of anybody, at least, other than Toby. She wasn't very good, in her opinion, and she found it completely pointless to do something that wasn't absolutely necessary and she wasn't very skilled at. But Toby enjoyed it, so she let herself serenade him as she sat him down in his high chair. He of course, protested at the treatment and clung to her as she tried to set him down. Instead, she found her feeding his little messy self in her lap, bouncing on one of her knees. She ate as well, and smiled as he looked at her with his big blue eyes, seemingly begging her to sing again. She did as she was told, and continued the song that she loved and felt fit her so well.

"_Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far, behind me... Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops...That's where you'll find me... _" she sang softly, cleaning up his messy face when he was finished eating.

He giggled, clapping his slightly sticky hands, before cooing softly and sweetly in her ear. She smiled at that, eyes closing in tenderness as she laid her forehead against his.

"_Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly...Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh, why can't I?_"

Sarah felt his hands come out and touch her cheeks with the a touch as soft as a butterfly's wings, and her green eyes opened half way to examine his young face. Part of her was horrified whenever she remembered that she had almost turned her into a goblin, and part of her was always surprised that she really did love her brother very very much, and would never call upon the Goblin King again, even if it meant for her to meet her friends... If they were even real that is.

"_If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh, why can't I?_" she finished after a moment eyes sad, and a small rueful smile on her pale lips.

Toby simply reached out and gave her a very sloppy kiss on the tip of her nose, his blue eyes sad and mournful like her's. With a sigh, Sarah got up, Toby still clutching to her like a baby monkey, and she cleaned up the kitchen, no longer singing, as she was not in the mood. She turned off the lights as soon as she was done, and headed off toward the bathroom at a calm pace, mentally thankful she had already placed Toby's clothes in there and that she didn't need to make the extra trip to his room. She was extremely glad that Toby was not a fussy toddler, and she had him dressed in his pajamas soon in enough. Part of her paused to note that they were nearly identical to the ones he had worn in the Labyrinth. The only difference was that their on his left foot, a single black feather was stitched into the design. She frowned as she dried his blonde curls, carefully. For some reason that little feather set her on edge, but she chose to ignore it and to just get Toby to bed.

His bedroom had changed a lot in two years reflected Sarah as she carefully laid out Toby in his small twin bed, gently tucking his transformers blankets around him with care, musing that the cartoon was very strange, giant alien robots? How was that even possible? Then again, she wasn't really one to talk... Sarah turned to walk away, and leave Toby to sleep when his hand whipped out and caught her wrist.

"Story, and please stay Sarah.." he whispered.

Sarah smiled, and without a second thought somehow managed to wiggle her tallish five foot seven frame into his very small toddler bed, letting him snuggle into her warmth. She lamented a little while later that she should have taken off her boots, but she deiced that they could wait. Toby looked at her, eyes wide and ready. Again, Sarah smiled, and she played with his hair.

"_**Once,**_ a long time ago, there was this lonely maiden, that in a fit of selfishness wished away her baby brother to be taken by the Goblin King..."

**An:****Okay, I like to say I own neither this movie, or any other thing that I have used that has a copy right on it, I simply don't. Be pretty cool if I did, but, hey, I really don't...**

**Fun Fact: When I mentioned Transformers, I meant the cartoon series, it did come out a year before the movie, and I thought that Toby could be possibly watching it as a little kid, don't ya think?**

**Fun Fact 2: Irene is the name of the step-mother in the manga... Er, I think, I haven't, nor want to read it...**

**Fun Fact 3: The big mutant crow thing in the last chapter, as reviewer has awesomely put it, that attacked Sarah and Toby, is a Raven. More on that later.**

**Fun Fact 4: I'm very picky when it comes to certain things, like let's say for example, the title of a chapter. I think I renamed this chapter about a dozen times before I finally was pleased with it... Oh, and I also tend to name them after songs, for the oddest reasons 0.o.**

**Fun Fact 5: I've only ever seen Labyrinth once, and that was a few weeks ago.(In my defense, I like to say that I'm a late 90's baby, so please don't judge) **

**Er, I think I'm getting a little off subject here, sorry, I just have to say that at the moment I have a total of eighteen chapters planned, and I'm nowhere anywhere near the end. Which has two possible ways of coming to be. One that makes the story even longer and complicates it, and one that ends it a little shorter, and much more simpler with the ending... I'm leaning more towards the former, if that makes anybody happy =).**

**SO, anyway, the next chapter is called: In The Dark Of The Night. (A song title there, sigh, why Anastasia?)Thank you if you read the AN, as well to all those who reviewed, and I hope to hear from you all again XD.****  
**

**-Peace,**

**Moon Witch **


	4. In The Dark Of The Night

**Chapter Three: In The Dark Of The Night**

Darkness loomed, and he smiled with an ease and exposure of his gleaming white teeth, a chuckle rising in his pale throat, only just suppressed because he knew that if he were to wake the slumbering girl now, his plans to toy with her would be ruined. His gloved fingers reached out and placed themselves over the lips of the babe, who woke quickly and looked at him with those baby blues filled with terror. He merely suppressed another chuckle of approval before he felt his power hum to life, lingering in an a lazy and powerful swirl inside him before the smallest of trickles left his covered fingertips. When it was done, he lifted his hand away from the child, resiting the childish urge to wipe his gloved fingers on the side of his breeches, instead he merely brought the hand back lazily down and carefully untangled the him from the limbs of the girl. The child gave out a soundless whimper, trying to produce a sound but failing, and struggling weakly in his arm as he placed the child on his hip, mocking the position the girl had put him before by settling him in the crook of his arm.

The girl merely sighed and furrowed her brows at the lost of warmth, and snuggled deeper into the small bed that was ridiculously small for her tall frame. He congratulated himself for his thought to dull her senses with his little stunt earlier, though he felt somewhat peeved that the girl had been enchanted by his little scream, and not the child. Though, he suppose as he looked on onto her pale and slumbering face shadowed by his own presence, it was because she had reacted to his display that she had been effected by it, the boy hadn't at all, at least not in the way he hoped he would. He frowned, because of his display he discovered something that greatly displeased him.

He had miscalculated. At first he thought that because the babe was so young he would be more... Accepting. Children, after all didn't have the limitations of mortal adults, because they were just so much more open and willing... And though the girl was by no means an adult, at least in what he knew of modern mortals standards, she was very close to it, and her mind and body shouldn't be this open at all. In fact, the dull effects of mortal adulthood should have started to making the girl start to lose the little spark that had began two years ago... Yet here she was affected by his scream because she had lashed out. At _**him**_. And, he would never admit it, but it had hurt. It had injured his wing, and in turn his arm, and it severely pissed him off. It didn't help his ego at all that she hadn't even noticed it. It had been subconscious, and though it had left her vulnerable, he suspected that it was the only reason that the babe hadn't been affected.

It only infuriated him further at the fact that... Well, it left him very interested to what else the girl could do if she was given and taught the proper ways. It made him smile very thinly, thinking that maybe both the girl and the babe could finally be the edge he needed to get ride of that unfinished business that was currently holed up in the Desert of Eternity, in that little maze of his. But he pushed that thought aside, because at the moment he needed to get the girl to the Underground in the first place... But, not, he thought with a very snide smirk, before he gave her a little scare. Since he was now taking her with him, he needed to get her away from the house, and since he already had the still struggling child on his hip... Well. Easy...

But he didn't want to leave it at that. It seemed just too boring to wait for her to awaken and come and find her dear little brother... But, as he looked on at her, a sudden thought occurred to him, and he smiled. If it didn't kill her, then she could be very interesting indeed... With an almost soundless snort, his spare hand lifted to his mouth and he revealed a set of teeth with very prominent canines, before he gripped the leathery fabric of his glove and tugged it away, and letting to light his thin and elegant hand. With his silvery eyes sparkling in anticipation, he decided to take his time, and to enjoy the rare thing it was to take off his gloves and simply touch something. Even if he was touching a mortal.

He didn't touch her skin, at least not yet, no, he lingered on her long hair, and marveled that the texture was very much like his fine silk at home, only it wasn't woven together but just endless strand after strand. And it was the color of blackest night, which he found was a nicer color than his own rather... Bright hair. He frowned, ignoring the little fists of the babe pounding into his thin hip, and noticed with some surprise that he felt a small thrum... Of something from the child as he continued to run his hand through his sister's hair. He grin was feral. Interesting. When he felt the fists actually started to sting, he whipped around his bare hand and flicked the child on the forehead with a finger, and he lingered to allow the boy to _**feel**_. He was very pleased indeed when he froze, before giving out a soundless scream. It was metaphoric music to his ears... When the boy slumped forward, he twisted him sharply to face away from his sister and himself and let the boy vomit soundlessly on the floor, wrinkling his nose and glad that he had only flicked the boy and touched him with a single finger, because he knew if he had actually touched him with all of his hand, that the child would either be unconscious or dead. And he needed him, at least for now.

He turned back to his sister, and wondered if she was stronger. If she could live through touching him, then maybe she was worth the effort to drag her to the Underground. By what he had felt earlier... He reached out and very experimentally placed a finger on the girl's cheek. She twitched, trembling and her mouth opened slightly, and then he felt the same something as before, and flinched back with a silent snarl. It hurt. It had_** really**_ hurt. His finger was aching like a burn, and he knew that it was going to ache for a while. He felt the brat's body tremble and frowned because he knew the brat was giggling. At_** him**_! Insolent little brat...

With another silent snarl, his hand closed around the girl's throat. He still felt the something, magnified, and his hand seemed to be on fire, and he felt the nerves screaming as he scrapped his long nails against her soft skin. Small trails of blood appeared, and then the somethings intensity impossibly increased, and it took all his will power not to let out a gasp of pain. Suddenly the wiggling form of the child in his arm came to his attention, and the babe was hitting him weakly again, his own something sparking at regular intervals. He ignored both the siblings efforts, and tighten his grip on the girl's neck. He leaned forward, and looked at her face wondering if she had awoken, only to be surprised to see that though power hummed just underneath her skin, the girl's eyes were firmly closed. He was also surprised to suddenly note that the pale face in front of him was a mixture of human features, and... Well, it had the girl's face had the briefest touches of Fey. He knew that the girl had been changing over the past two years, but if it was to that level... Then she would prove to be of use yet. Carefully, and with the utmost care, he removed his bare and aching hand and lifted away the hair from her ear, and placed his lips carefully on it, nuzzling it for the sheer novelty of being able to and ignoring the slight burning, before he whispered out:

"You are _**mine**_."

**~()~**

Sarah woke with a start. Heart roaring in her ears and pounding against her ribcage, and her breath came in strangling gasps. She couldn't breath, in fact she felt that she was about past out from the lack of oxygen, and in a desperate movement she wrenched upwards, arms coming up to see what on earth was the heavy pressure that she felt lingering on her throat. As she clutched at her throat, trying to see what was stopping her breath, Sarah noticed something that made her forget her own problem. She was cold, so cold in fact that her pale skin was completely adorned with goosebumps, and that her thin frame was trembling so hard that she heard the faint sound of her teeth chattering together. She shouldn't be this cold, she knew, because by all means sharing body heat should have kept her quite warm. Because she was sure that she had fallen asleep next to Toby.

Still struggling for breath, Sarah looked over to the space next to her, and despite the darkness knew that her little brother was no longer next to her. And then she noticed the distinctive smell of bile in the room and her green eyes looked wildly around for her little brother, and when she saw that there wasn't even a hint of him, she leaped up, noticing faintly that the pressure on her throat had lessened, and her breaths eased a little, though she still felt a great deal of pressure and a sense of pure wrongness. She also was displeased to notice that she felt something raising in her throat before she emptied her dinner and lunch onto the floor, part of thinking that it was such a great thing that her father had a thing for tiled floors before she doubled over with the force of her dry heaves, which made her stomach ache and her head pound. She whipped her mouth with the back of her hand, and grimaced at the vile taste in her mouth.

She ignored it, and instead raced out of the room, the feeling that something was very wrong twisting in her stomach. She called his name, and he didn't answer... She looked for him, and he wasn't found. She tore apart the house, eyes being blinded by her tears and she called out for him over and over, still not finding him. It was when she was at the bottom of the staircase, clutching at the railing for support did she see it. There, on the ground near the door was something that made Sarah feel very weak indeed.

It was a single, black feather, of the darkest night and with a sheen of twilight set on the very white tile of the floor. The raven. The raven had been inside her home. And Toby was now gone... Sarah tentatively reached for it, trembling. When she picked it up, Sarah felt... Something. Dark. Something that made her breath hitch, and her body tremble even harder. It was then that she saw that the front door was now open. And as Sarah looked out into the dark of the night, an unnatural wind blew the feather out of her weak grip. And it tumbled around her in lazy circles, over and over, beckoning her, the twilight sheen flashing red as the wind also made her hair and loose blouse flow in the wind. Sarah knew what it wanted... It wanted her to follow it, she could tell by the way the feather would jerk slightly forward whenever it was in front of her.

Something very primal inside Sarah screamed at her to just ignore the feather, and simply turn back around and lock herself up in her room. Lock herself into safety... But, Sarah shrugged away her more primitive instinct, and took a single deep breath. She knew where the feather would lead her, and she wouldn't become a coward simply because of a little scream. She had risked her whole self before for her little brother, back when she hadn't really cared for anyone other than herself... And now that she truly did love him so much... Well, to Sarah it was a no brainier. Her plump lips opened.

"Take me to my brother..." she whispered softly and demanding, green eyes glaring sharply at the feather.

The feather seemed to give her a nod, before it started to drift forward at a agonizingly slow pace. Knowing that it was waiting for her, Sarah took a step forward, green eyes open and ready for anything as she stepped onto her front porch. The door behind her slammed with a very sicking sound, and Sarah grimaced, before flickering her eyes around her with distrust. Nothing. The street that her house sat on was completely and utterly normal, though she noticed with some distrust that all the streetlights weren't lit, and she frowned as she took another step. Darkness drenched the usually lit street in droves, and Sarah had to thank whatever power had granted her better night vision since the Labyrinth... But she also cursed whatever power had taken her little brother. Without hesitation, she followed the feather away from her home, and walked into the darkness.

It was then that she noticed that it was raining. And it wasn't just a light shower either, it was a true gusher and within seconds Sarah was drenched. She didn't care, she only focused on the feather and walking. She had walked only a few dozen steps in the rain and away from her home when the almost invisible feather suddenly picked up its slow and lazy pace and started going at a pace that had Sarah swearing under her breath as she raced to catch up. Her legs pumped themselves hard, and Sarah ran into the night with the grace of a cat, all steady and easy movements. Raindrops splattered onto her skin like bullets, but she ignored it. Her breath came in haggard gasps, and her lungs burned as she took each one, and she grimaced at the fact that her throat still felt that heavy pressure of before, which she was sure why she had trouble breathing. She was glad that she had already vomited before, because if she hadn't she was pretty that she would be spewing all over the streets now... She ran past the rain drenched streets that were so familiar to her, the places she had seen all her life with that charming and solid knowledge that they were places that were_** safe**_.

They didn't seem very safe to Sarah now. All places seemed like a potential place of danger, because she knew that everything wasn't what it seemed. It pained her that the knowledge that had helped her in the Labyrinth was now being applied to her own home. The place that was suppose to be untouched by all this mess of magic and trickery. It wasn't fair, but after all, she knew how unfair things could get. Which, was what the feather was, because once again the damn thing picked up its pace. With a wail, she somehow picked up her own and ran after it.

The sharp slapping sound of her boots hitting the wet asphalt, the constant splattering of rain in her eyes and body, and the tell tale gleam of the feather where the only things that assured Sarah that this was all truly happening. The darkness around her was suddenly much darker, and the rain picked up speed. Sarah knew then that time was of the essence. With a breathless snarl, she pushed herself even harder, trying to get to where her brother was all the faster. Some part of her wondered at the fact that she could run so fast, and it wondered as well if it was just adrenaline. Another part of her wondered if it was because of the Labyrinth. She ignored both these parts, and just focused on two things. Running, and Toby.

Her little race after the feather was without any unexpected surprise, which put her on edge. From the one experience she had with magic, it was that it was full of trickery, and dead ends. If the feather lead her into any of those... Well, Sarah knew she would then get really angry, because Toby needed her... She was torn out of this thought by a sharp yank, and Sarah felt something grip tightly onto her arm as she fell backwards.

She didn't think, she simply fought whatever was holding her arm, all well placed punches and kicks, until that is, she caught the gaze of her 'attacker'. Black eyes glared steadily at her, and Sarah swore under her breath as she was forced to stand up by Mr. Fellows, his meaty hand still gripped tightly around her arm. She was pleased to note as she still struggled to get away from the man, that she had at least made his nose bleed a little with one of her punches... She still struggled, eyes wild and almost unseeing as she tired to follow after the feather.

"Miss. Williams! What on Earth is wrong with you! You just assaulted a teacher! STAND STILL!" bellowed out Mr. Fellows, struggling to keep his grip on her.

Sarah merely let out a wail of dismay as she tugged desperately toward the feather, which had disappeared around the corner.

"Sarah?" asked a concerned voice.

Sarah spared a glance at Alice Fellows, the girl that got any leading role that she wished holding a white umbrella, before shaking her head at her, still trying to desperately to get away from her father.

"Sarah, is there something wrong?" asked Alice, her black eyes fill with concern.

"THEY HAVE TOBY!" screamed out Sarah, hoping that the truth would allow her to go after that damn feather.

"Your little brother! WHO?" said Alice in alarm, tugging on her father's arm to let go of Sarah.

He just shrugged it off.

"Don't listen to her Alice, she's obviously on narcotics! Call the police!"

Alice seemed torn she looked between both Sarah and her father with eyes, not knowing who was right. Sarah didn't have time to waste on her indecisiveness.

"LET ME GO!"

When Mr. Fellows refused to let her go, his black eyes glittering with malice, Sarah deiced that he wasn't worth her time to merely struggle with. So with a glare of her own Sarah palm jammed upwards with as much force as she could. Blood spluttered under her palm. Mr. Fellows' grip on her arm slackened, and she kicked upwards, hitting him in his right shin. Her more viscous and vengeful side wanted to kick a little to the right, and much higher, but she controlled herself for his daughter's sake. Mr. Fellows howled, hoping on one foot as she pushed him away, slightly pleased as he landed on his ass in the middle of the wet street.

"_**Al'ic, 'all the po' il' ce**_!"

She turned away from Alice and the bleeding Mr. Fellows, before dashing after the now gone feather, ignoring the calls of her name and the foot falls behind her. Sarah all but sobbed for relief when she found it around the corner, where it had stayed. It took off in a quick movement. Sarah followed it without a thought, and prayed that she would see her brother soon.

She was still following it when she came across a busy intersection. She blinked, and she was surprised as she noticed all the lights, and she only gave a tiny sigh of relief when she did. But, when the feather suddenly surveyed into the car filled street, she swore. It was still drifting far ahead her when she didn't cross it, and she knew that if she stayed where she was she would lose it. Sarah took a breath, and she glared at the damn feather, before mumbling out:

"Through dangers untold..." in a ragged breath, for luck.

She then took a step into the car filled street.


	5. Abyss

**Chapter Four: Abyss**

Sarah heard someone scream her name as she took another step, her thankfully long legs dodging and weaving through each rushing car with the unnatural ease and dexterity of some sort of ghostly cat. She somehow wasn't even close to being hit by the time she was a quarter of the way across. It was then that the drivers finally noticed her unexpected presence, and it was then that she heard the squealing of tires against slick blacktop, as they braked around her, some serving to avoid her, others desperately trying to stop their vehicles. She still heard someone screaming her name behind her, and she didn't even have to turn around to know it was Alice Fellows, who she knew had followed her.

She didn't even have to turn to know that Mr. Fellows was holding his daughter back from running into the street after her. Sarah was grateful for that. Because she had the faint feeling that if Alice were to run into the street, she wouldn't get out of it. But Sarah only thought this for a fleeting moment, instead she concentrated on not dieing via large metallic vehicles that were threatening to crush her flat. And it was somehow not a surprise at all to Sarah how_** easy**_ it was.

She weaved and danced between all of the rushing cars with the grace of a prima ballerina. She managed to speed past them just as they come inches from hitting her, or even from being near her at times. She heard the harsh sound of metal hitting metal, and Sarah barely flinched as the sound echoed through the air. She barely flinched as she heard the screams, the swears, the honking or even as she heard the constant squealing of tires against the slick blacktop, or even when she heard sirens start off somewhere very far away. No, Sarah didn't flinch at the mess of car after car circled around her even as they skidded to a stop, or as they slammed into each other with that horrible screech that came with the sound of metal hitting against metal. No, most of Sarah just cared about the feather, floating just beyond her reach, taunting her as it spun in that unnatural wind, gleaming the colors of twilight underneath the streetlight.

A small part of her was horrified as she dogged another car, causing it to slam into the car in front of it. She was causing so much destruction just to reach that stupid and damned feather, but she didn't really have a choice. Her little brother was on the line, and nothing, and that meant _**nothing**_ was going to get in her way to him. The Labyrinth hadn't been able to stop her. Her own selfishness hadn't been able to stop her. _**Hell**_, even the Goblin King himself hadn't been able to stop her. And as much as it pained her to admit it, other people weren't going to stop her either. With that last thought, Sarah took a flying leap, her leg muscles straining as she jumped up onto the hood of one of the stopped cars that surrounded her. The driver honked in alarm, and Sarah just simply gave the people inside a calm look. Some part of her recognized the fact that the gaping faces inside the car where her step-mother and father.

The look on her step-mother's face was complete and utter surprise, her blue eyes, the one's that were so like Toby's were wide with alarm and concern. Her painted mouth was wide with her emotions, and she stuttered out her name before reaching out to unbuckle her seat belt, her thin and manicured hands trembling as she did. Sarah didn't have much time, she knew, before her step-mother would be out of the car and grabbing at her. Sarah didn't even have to think to know that if she didn't get of the hood of the green and faded hood of her father's car soon, she wouldn't be able to follow the feather, or find Toby. So, Sarah gathered all the strength she could in her leg muscles, crouching down and ready to get as much air as she could to get as close as she could to the sidewalk, and in turn the feather. For a brief moment before she even moved, Sarah's eyes flickered to her father.

Dark brown locked with unearthly green. For a a single and seemingly endless moment, parent and child looked into each other's eyes for the first time in nearly half a year. The look in her father's eyes was a look of pure rage, and something else that broke Sarah's heart. Disappointment. Pure, utter, and crushing disappointment. For nearly half a year, her father hadn't so much as looked at her, and now that he finally did, all Sarah saw was those two and wrenching emotions. It was a look that made her remember what she had done to Toby, and it made her think that maybe he _**knew**_. That he knew that she had wished off her brother because of her own selfishness two years ago. That he knew that that old selfishness was what was probably causing his disappearance now. But Sarah knew that it wasn't the true reason behind the look in her father's eyes. He couldn't know. He would never know. With a silent huff, Sarah gave her father a rueful smile, one that was very bitter and frail.

"I'll get him back." she whispered out to her father, noticing that for a moment, her father looked utterly afraid.

His hand reached out, and he unbuckled his seat belt, shouting out her name as his hand went for the door handle. She looked away, that rueful smile still on her pale lips as Sarah then took a deep breath, before jumping once again, this time landing onto the slick sidewalk with an ease that still somehow didn't alarm her. When she landed, she looked wildly around her, and was pleased to note that the feather hadn't drifted off, before it once again started to fly away, and Sarah didn't spare a thought as she raced after it. She didn't even spare a glance behind her as she heard both her father and step-mother screaming out her name.

Sarah just ran, the rain still pouring, still falling onto her already slick skin and hair, falling into her expressive eyes. She just ran and ran, the only sure thing in her run was that once it stopped, she would find her brother. When it finally did stop, Sarah herself couldn't be that help but be grateful to the damn feather for doing so, and with a shudder she hunched over, her stomach and throat convulsing, as if she wanted to vomit again, but as she had already spewed all over the white tiles in her brother's room, all the action caused was a pain and burning sensation in her stomach, as well as a headache. She then straighten as soon as the convulsions of the dry heaves stopped, eyes burning with tears, and the sweat that trickled into them.

It was then that Sarah noticed exactly where she was, and she gave a little gasp of disbelief. It was her park. The park that though small, was secluded and seemingly always overlooked by everyone. It was the park that she had practicing those fateful lines that he helped her break free from the desire and temptations that the Goblin King had presented. She looked at the feather with a critical eyes, and noticed with some surprise that it was actually twirling around her, as if it was waiting. Sarah's lips pulled into a frown, and never wanting to be ungrateful, for with magic that could get you in trouble, she mumbled out a quick thanks, head bobbing down. The feather froze for a second, as if in disbelief, before it seemed to nod, or really it moved up and down in a frenzied movement.

Then it took off again in a slow and calm pace, which Sarah took as a signal that whatever or whoever had taken her brother was near. Because of that, her steps were no longer the hurried and rushed movements of before, but instead took a more cautious and wary note. Her green eyes scanned the area with a wary light, body tense and ready for whatever she had to face. It was in her scanning that her eyes flickered toward the small pond that graced the park. Its waters were a turning black and inky mass, and the harsh bullets of raindrops that thundered against her skin hit the waters with a brutality and savagery that Sarah only ever saw in nature. It was then that Sarah noted that a soft and completely unnatural light was suspended over the gray stoned bridge that was above the pond, and it was that she noticed it was where the feather finally stopped, right under it, before it vanished. With that Sarah's eyes narrowed.

The only real experience she had with a bridge and magic had been in the Bog of Eternal Stench. And this time she knew that no rock calling friend was here to save the day in case the magical person decided that Sarah should take a swim. But she didn't really had time to dwell on that, after all, Sarah could swim. So with still narrowed eyes and a huff of displeasure, Sarah took a careful step onto the bridge. She then tensed, waiting for _**something**_. Her caution was meet with a deep and cold laughter that set her eyes looking around wildly around her to find the source. This only seemed to set off the person, and the laughter grew louder.

Sarah glared, pale lips mashing into a straight line as she then took unwary step after unwary step. She kept walking in a sort of military fashion until she was directly under the light, where she stopped, eyes hard and cold as ice as they once again looked around her with annoyance. Finding nothing, Sarah almost snarled.

"Show yourself." she hissed out into the night.

"Ah, ah! Where would the fun be in that, girl?" laughed out a masculine voice, so startlingly familiar, and seemingly just behind her left ear.

Sarah whipped around at an almost blurring speed, only to find no one behind her. Her fist clenched at her sides. Whoever the man was, he was just plainly toying with her... After all, now that she thought about it, his little feather had taken the long route to the park...

"I'm not here for games. I just want my brother back." she said with forced patience, eyes glittering with a dangerous light as she spoke out into the night.

"You sound like a broken record girl... Didn't you say that over two years ago? Say something new, for the sheer novelty!" said the voice, again just behind her left ear.

"How would you know what I said two years ago?" breathed out Sarah, terror starting to enter her stomach...

The voice was so startlingly familiar... Toby had been taken... And...

_Oh, God, Please don't be him... Please, not him, he left me alone for two years, if it's him why now?_

This time at her words, a soft chuckle sounded through the raining air, and Sarah's fist tightened even further, her short and blunt nails digging into her skin.

"Oh, I have my ways girl, I have my ways..."

"I don't give a damn about your ways, I just want my brother back."

The owner of the voice sighed.

"Again, a broken record... Marvelous invention you know, the record. The only thing you humans are half decent at is creating the most interesting toys..." said the familiar voice with a mock thoughtfulness in its tone.

"Please, my brother."

The owner of the voice simply let out a snarl, that Sarah couldn't help but flinch at.

"Girl, don't try my patience. You want you brother?" hissed out the voice.

Sarah gave a curt nod, glaring out in front of her.

"Then turn around."

She did. And because of that her breath stalled. Her green eyes widen, and her lower lip trembled at the person standing in the middle of a rainless spot, like the eyes of storm, dry as the bone and right in front of her.

"Goblin King..." She whispered out in a horrified tone.

The man, or, more accurately the Fey in front of her snorted, his silvery eyes narrowing as he adjusted the still silent and wiggling babe on his hip.

"Oh, please, whatever you do, _**don't **_call me that girl! I am _**not**_, nor ever will I be that _**pathetic**_ and utterly useless idiot!" snarled out the Fey, his gloved grip tightening on Toby.

Sarah eyes narrowed, and she took _**whoever**_ was in front of her with a more careful look. He really wasn't the Goblin King... But he looked so startlingly like him, that the mistake was fairly easy to make. He had the same tall and wiry form, which was draped with a black suit that looked a like a mixture of old and something otherworldly. The fabric glittered faintly, as if stars where stitched into the dark cloth. His face was similar as well, though Sarah noted that the pale face that glared at her wasn't as gaunt as the one of her memories, and that around his his eyes, unlike the Goblin King, the markings were black. Of course, there was also the fact that his eyes were a pure and steely sliver, instead of that odd mix of dark blue and overly dilated pupil brown. His hair was more or less the same bleached looking blonde, and it too was wild and spiked... Though, though it was a longer, near to his waist. And... He was a inch or so shorter than the Goblin King, if she guessed right...

So no. He wasn't the Goblin King. Somehow, that only made Sarah tense further, because well, if he wasn't the Goblin King, than she had no idea why exactly he would want with her and her brother.

"Then what do I call you?" she said with a glare.

The Fey smirked, and by some miracle, Sarah thought that the twist of his thin lips looked even crueler than the Goblin King's, despite the fact that their lips were the same.

"I'll give you the utter privilege to call me just Bran." he said with a bigger smirk, nodding at her.

Sarah merely glared, and the Goblin King's doppelganger, Bran, gave out a chuckle.

"My, my! Your actually funner than I thought you be girl... Though a tad predictable... But, I guess, I should know this... I have been watching you for a long time..." said Bran with a chilling smile.

Sarah looked at him steadily, and then flickered her eyes to Toby, whose big blue eyes looked at her with relief, terror underneath that. She sent him a quick and almost not there smile, which he returned. Her gaze went back to Bran, and she frowned.

"How long?"

Bran gave smirked at her question.

"From the second you said the right words to call upon the moron that calls himself the Goblin King." he said in a matter fact, until he snarled out the title.

Sarah frowned, and her eyes once again drifted to her brother.

"Okay. So your some stalker that has some sort grudge against the Goblin King. Trust me, I don't like him either, but that doesn't explain why you were watching _**me**_ for so long, or why I'm here." said Sarah, frowning.

Bran just smiled at her cruelly, once again adjusting Toby on his hip.

"My... You aren't stupid are you? That is reassuring... But well, the fact of the matter is... Girl I'm not going to tell you why..."he said with an easy shrug, before melting away from her sight.

"TOBY!" screamed out Sarah in alarm, eyes going around her wildly.

The light above her suddenly went out, and once again Sarah screamed out her brother's name.

"Oh hush girl... I never see the point to the fuss that people have over their brothers, it just seems idiotic to me..." muttered out Bran, once again from behind her left ear.

She then felt a wiry, yet startlingly strong arm wrap around her thin waist, and Sarah's breath left her as the world around her turned impossibly even darker. When her breath was back to her she screamed, thrashing and reaching out for her brother, trying to find him with blind eyes.

"Shut up... I'm _**so **_sorry that this isn't as smooth as a translation as going to the Labyrinth, but the fact of the matter is, that is the Abyss is the only way to get into the Underground without alerting a certain imbecile." whispered out Bran, voice harsh and unforgiving.

It occurred to Sarah that it was as if she was flying. Or, well, it felt as if she was flying. The wind whipped at her drenched clothing and hair, making it stream behind her at the very speed of it. Her legs had the feeling of being dangled, and Sarah had the impression that it was over some incredible height.

"LET US GO!" she screamed at Bran, green eyes still blind as she tried to see her capture.

His laughter filled the air, and Sarah was chilled to the bone.

"Girl, that is the last thing I will ever do. Not shut up and do hope that the Abyss won't kill either your brother or yourself, I can't recall a mortal ever going in this way..."

Sarah panicked. She couldn't describe it as anything else, that primal part of her that had told her to stay in her room took over her frenzied mind and fought. She didn't even think of Toby, who was surly on the other arm of Bran. No, she simply kicked, punched, screaming her head off trying to get that strong and wiry arm _**off**_. But nothing could no matter how hard Sarah punched, no matter where Sarah kicked she couldn't get that damn arm off her waist... That is, until she heard a small, despair wail echo into the Abyss. It was then that Sarah felt something.

It was like a hum. It was like a soft yet strong and ever present hum beneath her skin. It swirled and twisted a savage and primal dance of pure life beneath her skin, making her tremble and her green eyes to widen. And it made her _**see**_. She saw Bran. She saw Toby. She saw them both in the blinding Abyss, and she saw _**something **_beneath their skin. Bran was a twisted dark ocean of shadows and small trails of sliver light, which writhed and flickered like fire, and danced to a beat that was somehow cruel, yet not. Toby was a soft and brilliant pool of blue light, that though small, dance with the joy of youth and pureness that shook Sarah to her core.

It was in her sight that she saw the pool of blue light surge, and gathered into Toby's small fist, knocking into Bran's side with such a startlingly force that he let go of her. And Sarah fell, even as Bran snarled out a no, even as she saw the blue light dim a little in Toby, and even as she saw him smile at her with soft and relived eyes, Sarah fell. She fell with no real sense of which direction, and her green eyes unconsciously closed as she felt that humming light beneath her skin surge, and pool around her, invisible to all but her, as she wished desperately to be just safe. It was then as Sarah fell into the now peaceful oblivion that was the Abyss, tears running down her face as she had just figured out one thing. She hadn't gotten her brother back.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, the Abyss around her melted away, and she was soon falling through a red tinted sky. As she neared the cobblestone ground, the humming light surged again, and it slowed her rapid decent. Her booted feet touched the ground first, in a slow and almost lazy movement her knees followed, then her torso, and finally her arms and head touched the ground. Her head tilted to the side, and her cheek kissed the stones and her long raven hair covered her face, and streamed around her. It was then that Sarah fell into an exhausted sleep, and it was then that stones around her seemed to give a sigh of relief.

It was then that Goblin King jolted upwards in his stone his mismatched eyes widening as he felt his heart give a strong leap in his chest. And it was then that his thin mouth opened, and whispered out:

"Impossible..."

* * *

**AN:I do not own Labyrinth... I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO THOUGH! If anyone has a number of a really good lawyer that can get me the rights, well.. Let's just say that then I wouldn't own it either, because that person would use the lawyer to get it for themselves... Sigh...**

**Anyway, I wanted to ask something... Do you not like my fic? I mean, I know people read it. I know. I'm one of those obsessive people that reads over the Stats for their story. So I know people are reading, or visiting this fic. In fact, this is my most popular story, according to the Stats, despite its lack of reviews... Which brings us to the real question, I suppose... Why aren't you people reviewing? I don't mean to be rude, but hey, it would be very nice to see some appreciation for my writing. Which I know isn't perfect. (FAR FROM IT!) My grammar is simply horrible. I ramble a little in the description... But I know I'm not terrible... I think... But, look bottom line is, I'm not going to hold the next chapter hostage for so many reviews so I can get some... But I would really like it if people would do so anyway. I want opinions, and even criticism (Er... No flames if you please)... And I'm asking for them with a pretty please and a cherry on top. Thank you if you read my authoress note, and thank you a million times if you review.**

**~Peace,**

**Moon Witch**


	6. The Damned King

**The Damned King**

The Goblin King, Jareth, clutched at his the necklace that was so dream to him, feeling the warm metal almost sear his hand through his thick gloves, a warning he knew, that something big had just happened within the confines of the place that had been his home for thousands of years. When he released his vice grip of the crescent charm, he let his hand in the middle of his exposed chest, touching where he knew his heart to be. Even through the thick leather of his glove, he felt his heart slap against his palm, dancing at a roaring and uneven beat, and he swore quietly under his breath as he bolted upwards and out of his uncomfortable stone throne to stand on his booted feet. His long cloak swirled around him with the ricochet of whatever had just landed in his Labyrinth, and in his agitated state. He felt the steady hum of his magic under his skin, almost like a live wire, just beneath the surface, almost screaming to get out and struggling against his tight control to reach towards whatever had dared set foot in his Labyrinth.

Around him the constant and ever annoying goblins looked up at him because of his sudden movement, their bloodshot eyes looking at him with the sort of blank stupidity that only goblins, and mortal teenagers in a lecture could have. Their ugliness struck him each time, and he frowned as he recalled the first time he had laid eyes on such creatures... He had been just a tiny feyling then, a babe really and he had clutched at his father's hand so tightly that he remembered that his whole arm had trembled with the force... His father hadn't even flinched, and he had showed him the goblins with a humble bow of his head to the Goblin King that he hadn't known at the time would give him his throne when it became his wish to fade... He frowned even deeper at the somewhat sad thought, and he remembered his father's tall, and thin frame, and he remember the look in his silvery eyes when he had looked down at him, which had been of some approval when he had reached out to shake the Goblin King's hands...

Jareth twitched as he felt another pulse of his magic, reacting once again to the call of whatever was in his kingdom... His most loyal subjects still looked at him he noticed faintly as he glared at the cobblestone beneath his feet, eyes excited, and voices ringing his ears. They chattered up at him in both squealing and deep tones, their ugly and decrypted faces jabbering without pause at him in a idiotic chorus.

"King!" squeaked one.

"Sire!" boomed another.

"Your Majesty!" squeaked yet another.

"Boss!" snarled yet another and another one.

"BIG MAN!"

"SILENCE!" He snarled out to them, gloved hands curling into claws at his side as his mismatched blue and brown eyes glared at them.

The goblins all stood silent, staring at their rather tall and rather moody king with their blood shot eyes, frowns on their slightly molted looking faces. Their King on the other hand, silently fumed, chest heaving in both agitation at his goblins and at the fact that he had just felt a huge magical disturbance in his Labyrinth, which could only mean one thing... Some foolish and probably young Fey or Nymph had decided that it would be oh so fun to both the ever grouchy and ridiculed the 'Goblin King'...With a silent huff, he conjured a scyring crystal into his palm and directed it toward where he felt the disturbance. His mismatched eyes looked loftily into the crystal, glaring into its endless depths for an endless moment before he swore, and focused even harder to see whatever had entered his Labyrinth. And...

Nothing. He just got a big blank as helluva nothing, not a single thing was visible in his dear crystals, save his own distorted reflection. He frowned with distaste. He_** hated **_when that happened. It meant one of two things. One, it could be that whoever had appeared into Labyrinth was so powerful that they were naturally blocked, which would make them a monarch... Or two, they were being blocked and or protected by a monarch... Jareth scowled, though the later was most likely, it should be a one in a million chance for either of them to happen at all...

"_You're going to get wrinkles like that..._"whispered a soft and warm voice near to his right.

Jareth turned and frowned, looking at the person who was smiling gently and softly like some sort of angel. Her face was pale and it looked even more beautiful than any Fey or Nymph that he had ever seen, and her jewel like mismatched eyes so much like his own glowed with an inner light that both comforted him and made him wary. Her ash blonde hair was long and endless, and floated in some unseen wind. Her white shift did the same across her shapely body. And she was completely transparent, like a spirit or some kind of projection, as he could see the dull and earth colored stones of his throne room behind her ghostly form. Her red lips pulled into an even wider smile at his look, and her large and elegant hands came to cover them as she giggled. Jareth suppressed a groan, a muscle in his forehead twitching as she giggled again. He ground his teeth, and then forced his thin lips into a smile as he bowed elegantly at her, somehow making the respectful gesture look like a rude and obscene one.

"Oh, Spirit, what a pleasure to see you in my humble castle... Again." he muttered with a drawl in his voice.

The apparition, or Spirit gave a fond smile before she gave him a suddenly serious face.

"_Did you feel that shift in power in your little maze?_" She said in her warm, yet haunting voice of her's.

The Goblin King snorted and with fake calm, draped himself once again into his rather stiff and uncomfortable throne. He had been about to storm out to find whatever had caused the shift, but as the Spirit had come annoyed him about it, he was going to stay right where he was.

"Labyrinth. And yes, as you have so brilliantly pointed out, it is mine, and yes I have felt the shift in power... Most likely it's some upstart Fey brat that wants to play with the Legendary Goblin King." he growled moodily looking off handily at his gloved hands as if to see some sort of imperfection on them.

"_Oh, Boy, please do not be so sure... That shift was something else... You should go see what it is. Or rather, who it was._" warned the Spirit.

Jareth merely started humming under his breath, still looking down at his gloves. The Spirit sighed, and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, with a glare she took in the lounging monarch, noting with a little surprise that he was such a bitter person, and it contrasted greatly with the small boy she had watched from the other realm...

"_Whoever it was just came from the... She came from the Abyss._" said the Spirit, eyes glowing with emotion and distress.

Jareth for the second time that day lunged upwards, eyes widening and turning to the Spirit.

"You jest. Not the Abyss Between Realms, that... Is almost impossible to cross, let alone transport from." he said, shocked.

The Spirit smiled thinly.

"_You only ever listen to me if its something important... And no, I do not jest Boy, it isn't in my nature._" she said with a serious gaze.

Jerath narrowed his eyes.

"What else do I have to know about... This female from the Abyss?" he asked with a slight growl to his tone.

"_She will be very weak... And hysterical, I might add. Someone dear to her is in danger once again, though this time the child should not blame herself, as she will... But, also know that there is a reason why this child comes to you Emperor... She needs you._" whispered the Spirit.

Jareth turned away and felt his stomach turn. Emperor. That was a word that had meant so much to him, and only brought pain. He ignored the steady feeling of heat behind his eyes, for he knew that if he were alone he would weep of anger, bitterness, and grief.

"I am no Emperor." he snapped as he gripped his right arm tightly in his left hand, thinking of the long and jagged scar that laid there.

"_Yet_."

He looked straight into Spirit's eyes, a frown on his lips.

"Ever."

Spirit shook her head, and gave him a thin smile.

"_Go then, Emperor, go attended to your maze... And know that what you find is your destiny... And help her, for... For she is your last chance._" she whispered softly, before she faded right before his very eyes.

Jareth stayed froze in place for an eternity, hand still gripping his arm, and a frown on his lips. He then stood up, kicking away a few goblins as he felt the very energy beneath his surge to help its monarch to the place they wished to be, towards the power shift that had started this whole mess... But not before he whispered out, somehow knowing she was still there to listen:

"I will never be Emperor, for I am... I am simply, and always will be since that day, the _**damned King**_." he said in a harsh tone, cursing her to the gates of Hades for what her presence always made him remember.

And cursing himself for being so stupidly trusting... For so stupidly believing that his... That _**he**_ would never betray him... That he would be forced to being a simple little gate keeper from the mortal realm, and for him to protect the Underground from those few unlucky humans that said the right words... Especially _**her**_. Her. Even thinking of her in that way made his heart ache... Made him wish for everything, yet nothing at the same time. For making him... For making him trust once again, no matter how frail, to another being... Damned indeed.


	7. You Precious Thing

**You Precious Thing**

She felt the searing heat of the sun above her against her pale skin, and the wind blew dryly against her form in a curling, caressing movement, and the girl let out a breath. She paused, and something came to her attention that made her breath catch. She tried for a hard second. And yet, the girl knew, her mind was still a curious and frustrating blank. No thoughts, nor memories came to the girl, and she felt blind, and as she tried to even remember the simplest of things something occurred to the prone girl...

She thought hard for second trying to see if it was really true, and felt dismayed. Nothing. It was as if she had forgotten her own name, for as she tried to think, she felt that her mind could not bring that simple, personal thing that was her name. She breathed again, quicker in tempo and that much scared. She tried once again to think of her name, of even the first letter to something as simple as the thing shhe was called by. The girl thought of nothing, and gave a silent huff, and vowed not to even move an inch from her uncomfortable position until she remembered herself. She tired yet again and-... Nothing.

"Think..."she whispered hoarsely to herself.

The girl felt her chest move softly at the pace of her breathing, and the heat seared into her flesh. She felt the hard ground beneath her... She breathed again.

_Sarah... _

That simple, somewhat plain name echoed through the space around her, seemingly from everywhere at once, from the ground beneath her body, to the sun above, to the wind lapping at her skin, and even the very energy around her called out that simple, two syllable name. The girl stiffened as that name touched her ears. Whispered as if through the lips of some male, lovely, and lyrical, yet furious and wicked. Kind, yet ill tempered. A voice that affected in such a way that she felt out of breath...

_Sarah..._

Echoed the very place once again in her ears, whispering, yet shouting at the same time with that male voice.

_Sarah..._

Yet again, though this time it pounded itself into her mind.

_Sarah..._

_Sarah..._

_Sarah... _

What an endless string of Sarah, thought the girl, moaning and covering her ears.

_Sarah... _

That damn name!

_Sarah!_

It suddenly clicked. Sarah. That was it. So simple that she almost hit herself as she felt the sheer impossibility of the forgetting her name! She knew it now. Sarah. Sarah Williams. With those two thoughts, the rest came as if it had never gone... Sarah was her name... And she had to find her little brother, Toby. Her precious younger brother who was surly terrified at the moment.

It was when that thought ended within her head that she felt the searing, shaking pain coarse through her body like a live wire.

Sarah let out a groan, breath harsh and vision in spots as she slowly allowed her green and unbeknownst to her, highly dilated eyes to open. The action made her breath hitch, and her palms to sweat. Her heart thundered. Her head was marching to the same roaring and aching beat. The red tinted sun entered her retina in a harsh, direct way that made her moan loudly.

She then shuddered again with the same pain, curling into herself as she felt her whole body feel as if it was on fire, a tense, live wire. If she had had anything in her stomach, she knew that she would have spewed it all over whatever hard, dusty surface she was on. She breathed. And she curled even further into herself. She was very grateful indeed that her stomach was empty. She blinked slowly, trying to clear the spots in her visions with slow, paced blinks. She tried to rid herself of her blindness... With little effect.

She saw nothing but a blur array of dull and red tinted colors. Sarah let out another moan, closing her eyes again and pushing herself into the whatever ground she was currently on, relishing the cool feel of what she guessed were cobblestones. She felt another shudder rip through her, and she clenched her fists, as well as her teeth. But she pushed it aside, shakily, and ignoring the apparent blindness she was still experiencing to sit up, knowing that she had more important things to do. Her head swayed, as did her body, but she, like all the other things plaguing her, ignored it. She needed to find Toby. She needed to. Her vision did not improve she noted with a trembling swallow, and she closed her eyes so as to feel just a tad better at the fact that she was apparently blind. She knew it was some after affect of sorts of three of the things that had happened to her. One, the exposure of what Bran had called the Abyss. Two, the exposure to Bran himself... And three, the backlash of whatever had allowed her to see that energy within Bran, Toby, and herself. Without opening her eyes, Sarah tried to get to her feet, feeling like a newborn calf as she slowly and shakily stood on her trembling feet.

She hadn't even stood for a second before her limbs buckled beneath her, and she fell with a hard thud. She breathed, eyes still firmly shut. She trembled, and she knew then that she didn't even have a tenth of the strength to stand, let alone look for her brother. She swore, hitting her fist repeatedly into the cobblestones. She hit the stones in frustration and weakly in her state, but she hit them as hard as she could nonetheless.

She hated this. She hated it! She was stuck God knew where, literally blind and her brother was in the clutches of Bran. Whoever that damn bastard was, who had a grudge against the Goblin King, and apparently thought kidnapping two minors motals in the middle of the night was a perfect way to redeem that grudge. She swore, and just knew that Bran was not stable mentally... Which was not the best for her brother's well being... She almost let herself let out a sob at the sheer anxiety and fear that ran her in a rapid, cold wave.

She didn't dare let herself even make a single sound of anguish.

Instead, she curled once again into her side, noting the way the dry, hot wind blew her hair into her face, but not caring as she tightened her hold on her still closed eyes lids. She clenched her fists once again, and sighed tiredly in a shuddering, almost sob like way. Her eyes stayed closed, and she breathed evenly, though she did not sleep, merely resting to wait for her energy to come back. It seemed to her as more wind blew her hair into her face, it would take a while.

_Damn it_... She thought as another shudder of pain ran through her.

It made her very nerve endings tingle in a pins and needle kinda of way, and she let out a shaky breath. A long while she thought with a rueful smile. A very long while.

~()~

His boots echoed on the dusty cobblestones, and for once in his very long life, Jareth took the long and more tedious way by walking through his Labyrinth to find whatever, or really who was bothering him today. The air was dry as always. The red tinted star above him still shown down with the temperate and very steady and rather predictable temperature... As always. Always the same he thought as he took yet another step through the memorized place that had homed him for many many years, and he knew would again home him for many years yet. There was never a change. Always the same dusty walls, the hard stone throne and the only occasional boring humans who would whine and complain about not wanting whoever they had wished into the Labyrinth to go their, or selfishly taking their 'dreams'.

It was rather funny to him, in a grim kinda of way, at the fact that the one wished away was not the one to stay in the Labyrinth if they chose the dreams over that being... Those who gave up without horrible intentions woke up as if it were nothing but a horrible nightmare. The only exception to that those two situations was one, single female child of fifteenth or so who lasted to the end and managed to do the impossible.

Make him feel even a shred of longing that he thought long dead, and actually beating him in the game that he had played many times before, and had played many times after... A game that had been made by the creator of the Labyrinth long before either of them had been born. He smiled, ruefully, yet fondly as he thought of her. The shape of her brow. The pale, flush glow to her angered flesh. Her fiercely sparkling eyes that held clear fear, yet tired to hide that behind sheer stubbornness. The slender shape of her body... The curious shape of her plump lips... All etched into his mind forever.

He pushed such thoughts away with a snarl. They wouldn't do. Not at all. He pushed himself back to the current stir in his routine at the moment. The being that had been dragged through the Abyss and suddenly thrown into his home. He growled, striding forward in a quick, predatory beat that he retained solely for anger and frustration... Though these emotions where things he admittedly thought with a roll of his odd eyes, was prone to very often experience. He sighed, and tired to remember what exactly the Spirit told him.

A female she had said, a hysterical one at that. He scowled, and knew that a headache was going to come very soon to his being. He sighed. What a pain, and what a task. But he would do it anyway, because he was such a _**kind**_ person.

He snorted, knowing that even in his own mind was that reason utterly ridiculous, for the only one who he would worry for was surly currently sung in the Above, with her little babe of a brother... Happy and with no magic touching her anymore. Tra la la la la la. He thought with another scowl.

The only reason he really walked forward now was simple. He really was bored, and his curiosity was calling out to him. He was always a curious thing, and simply being annoyed with Spirit would not make him forgo that curiosity.

"Come out, come out."he muttered lowly, still very bored.

He turned a corner, and froze at the sight that met him.

A female, like she had said. A female who laid curled up in a ball, long raven hair endless and following all around her. He took another step. The girl tensed. And, like shot got up and looked from side to side, terrified.

"Whose there? Come out I can hear you damn it!" said the girl.

That voice. That voice that was so familiar yet not. It was too much like the tinkling of bells to be her's, to perfected. Yet it made him tense as she called out again.

"Come out damn it!" she cried.

The she started to feel around fingers reaching out carefully, and Jareth suddenly knew. She really had come from the Abyss, for one of the reasons it was impossible to cross was that it quite literally blinded you. It was a temporary state, one that can be easily fix, but a terrifying experience nonetheless. By the way the girl was moving, she was beyond terrified. Now, it was a dilemma for him. What should he do to pacify the girl? He could call out. He could walk over and even kick her into reason... He snorted, and the girl turned around towards the sound.

Her face shocked him beyond belief. Though part of him should have known simply by

The curious shape of lips. The slender, supple length of her form. The lovely shape of her furrowed brow. The pale pale flush of her cheeks. And her eyes. They were clouded with white at the moment, but he could see the lovely green shade behind it. The shape was still the same... Though he was shocked to see traces of Fey in her face. The sharper cheek bones, the even plumper lips, and the color of her paler skin. Fey. She was turning into a Fey he thought with a gasp.

"Whose there?!" she asked.

He couldn't say a single word. How could he? He simply walked forward, boots echoing in the cobblestone. She turned toward him once again, eyes wide.

"Who?" she whispered.

He kneeled, on the dirty, dusty, and hard floor, not even pausing as he cupped her pale face between his large hands. She tensed.

"Who?" she whispered yet again.

He took a breath. And couldn't say another thing. She placed a hand onto his right hand, and even through the thick leather he could feel her warmth, and the softness of her skin. She leaned forward, and whispered again:

"Who?" in a soft, yet knowing voice.

He smiled at her voice.

"Who do you think precious?" he finally responded.

Her lips parted. And he gently, with smallest amount possible flowed magic into her eyes. They cleared, and her lovely eyes were visible in their full sparkling state.

"Goblin King." she whispered.

He couldn't help but smile once again. She was here. She was with him...


	8. Fearful Creatures

**Fearful Creatures**

"No."

It was just a breath from her shaking lips. Not even loud enough for a human to hear, faint and soft as if she couldn't help but say that inaudible word. But it was enough for him to hear. She was not happy to see him, not at all. Why would she be? She trembled beneath his glove hands, like a leaf and just as frail it seemed. He froze. Her eyes were wide and hazy, clearly not blind anymore but hazy with disbelief. She was scared. Terrified. He could see that as clearly as he could see her newly Fey features in their form of terror and something akin to disbelief. Was it because of him that Sarah has such a face? He knew not. He just knew that the girl was scared... Hysterical even. Just as the Spirit had told him, just as she had warned him. Just as she had promised. Damn her.

"No." she repeated it, lower lip trembling like the rest of her frail body beneath his hands.

"Sa-" he didn't get to finish her lovely, simple name, for she took off like a shot.

It made him stare after her lithe form with wide, unbelieving eyes. She was running away. She was going away from him. And she did it with such speed! It was a moment of just looking at her form disappear behind a wall that he without another thought was running after her. His legs pumped rapidly, and his boots echoed on the stones with each step of his long legs. And yet she still ran faster, inhuman in her speed and in her grace. Like Spirit, she did not seem to touch the ground, and all but flew down the passageway of his Labyrinth.

"Sarah!" He screamed after her.

Sarah didn't break a stride in her run as she looked over her shoulder, eyes wide to see the racing Goblin King behind her. That only furthered her alarm, and in her panic state made her run even faster, and faster, and just simply _**away **_from him.

"Sarah!"called out that voice once again, the voice full of an almost British lit that had always confused her as a fifteen year old.

_**No.**_ Just, no. NO! She had had enough of this damn nightmare! She had had enough! She didn't want this, not again. Not after the fact that she had become accustom to what being Sarah meant. Not after finally being at some semblance of peace, no!

"Sarah!"

Wake up Sarah, she thought with a inner scream, running for all she was worth. Wake up! GET UP! Wake up! WAKE UP NOW!

"Sarah!"

Please wake up she thought to herself.

"Sarah!"

Heavy boots slapping against cobblestones had been a noise that she had faintly heard, and her brain had pushed it back into her mind, but with the sudden nearness of the sound, Sarah's ears picked up the noise loud and clear. She knew then that she, no matter how much she begged and prayed would not wake up. Because, unfortunately for her, this was no nightmare.

"Sarah!" that voice, that had seemed so far away seemed to be right behind her left ear.

She looked frantically around, looking at the dull, sandy stones and wishing she could see something, anyway for her to get away. It seemed that Sarah was in luck, or she had become more skilled in spotting magic since she was fifteen. With a grateful gasp, Sarah ducked into the wall. She barely noticed the power that had taken her out of the Abyss had surged weakly inside of her, making her tired, and seemingly abused nerve endings feel a sharp shock.

She shook off the feeling without a pause to her stride. Slipping into what seemed to be the outer part of the Labyrinth, which held darker, brown stones. These stones were slick, she thought, covered in what looked like crystals imbedded into the walls and floor. Not only that, the strangest planets looked at her, actually_** looked **_at her from the walls, clinging like some creepy moss. She remembered those faintly from two years ago, and flinched as they swiveled towards her as she ran past them. Their irises, if she could call them that, were only two colors in all. Over dilated brown, and a startling shade of blue. That in itself freaked her out more than the fact that they moved, and reminder her of the monarch and owner of the Labyrinth in which they grew in.

She glanced behind her with a frantic swear, and was very glad to see that no running Goblin King catching up to her in any sense. She breathed a sigh of relief, still running at full speed, and leaving nothing to chance, and looking in front of her once again. It was at that minute that her vision blurred, before clearing, and then filling with curious blacks spots as dark as the lightless Abyss. Sarah stumbled over an overturned branch, and with a shriek, she fell forward. It was a slower fall than it should have been. Her arms reached forward to catch her, but before she touched the ground, her muscles gave out. She instead braced herself with her knees and as it hit the jarring blow made her teeth rattle. Her torso followed, as instead of falling, she actually sagged forward, allowing her chest to hit the ground slowly.

She stared at the crystal incrusted ground, trying to blink away the damn spots, and noticed that her chest was heaving heavily and scrapping unpleasantly on the stone beneath her. With as much strength as she could(which wasn't much), Sarah flipped herself onto her back. Pain exploded behind her eyelids for just a moment, and just like before, she was blinded. It only lasted a second, and then Sarah could see the ruby, orange faded sky perfectly. It was embedded with stars, faint in the bright glare of the red star that must of been the sun here, but there nonetheless. It was beautiful, somehow. When she paused for breath and energy, the blurs and fears of the Labyrinth suddenly faded. Her chest slowed in its rapid movements, and the spots in her vision went away one by one.

The energy, in her tired limbs did not return, so Sarah stared at the sky. It really was beautiful. The lingering fear of her brother in Bran's arms terrified her still, how could it not be with her? With the worry for herself gone, Sarah saw her brother again, and in her tired state felt nothing but shame. She shouldn't have panicked. She shouldn't have wasted the meager energy she had gathered going away from the Goblin King, and should have asked why the hell was someone, nearly identical to him stealing her little brother. She sighed closing her eyes, wondering how on earth she had managed to even make them sore with her run. She wondered if it was because of the Abyss... She also wondered if she was ever going to stop these ridiculous adventures involving magic and kidnapping any time soon.

" 'Ello there!" said a friendly, and very familiar voice.

Sarah looked toward the voice, green eyes blinking.

"Been a long time, hasn't it?" said the very small bright blue warm on the ledge of one of the bricks of the walls.

She blinked again, and then blinked some more. Down to the red scarf, the worm that had helped her slip through the walls before was the same.

"Hello." she responded after a moment of staring up at it.

He smiled, tilting his fuzzy head to the side.

"Why are you on the ground?" he asked.

"I fell." said Sarah, blinking at the familiar thing.

She had thought it would be a butterfly by now or something, but, yet there it was, plain as day, blue and all, the caterpillar she had never knew the name of in front of her.

"How silly of you." he responded, chuckling towards the end.

Sarah nodded at his comment and blinked again. For some reason, the whole experience felt surreal, more so than free falling through the Abyss, more so than feeling that weird energy within her, more so than seeing the Goblin King again. There was just something about this worm that had her off balance.

"Want a cup of tea with me an' me missus?" asked the Worm.

Sarah smiled from the ground.

"As lovely as that sounds, I really have to get going. My brother's been kidnapped..." said Sarah, trying, to no ail to get up.

The Worm tsked.

"Oh, that loud of tosh. The King's been at it again, did you say the right words again?" said the Worm, somehow amused by the whole thought.

Sarah, still trying to get up again, shook her head.

"Oh no, not at all. I would never say the right words again after last time! Someone else took him, and me for that matter." she said, frowning as she thought of the last part.

So much for self defense and extra exercise she had gone through the last two years. She had done in the propose to train herself to be self reliant and stand a better chance in any situation, magical or not. It seemed that two years of fencing, gymnastics, yoga and self defense hadn't been enough. She would have to work on that whenever she got back to the normal world. If she got back at all, that is.

"Eh? The King didn't take you brother? Who did then, go on, tell old Worm!" said said Worm, eager as a dog about to get a treat.

Sarah snorted, knowing now that 'old Worm' was a gossip to the core.

"Someone named Bran, you know him?"

The effect one the Worm was as if Sarah had flipped a switch. The cheery, possibly gossip mongering Worm somehow paled, the vibrant blue of his plump flesh turning a dull alarming gray. He scooted backwards, shaking his head rapidly. His wide eyes, widen even further than she thought possible. And she knew right then and there that he was terrified beyond his bug wits.

"Oh. Oh, no, no,no! Missy, be careful, be careful! That one is a dangerous one!" said the worm in a hushed voice.

With the speed of something much more lithe, the worm crawled backwards into a hole in the brickwork. When only his luminous, round eyes were visible, the Worm said just one more thing:

"Forget you're brother if you can, for that 'little raven' will never let him go. Try to get the King to get you home Missy, it's your best chance to livin'!"

He said it with a wise, hushed air, before disappearing completely into the brick work. Sarah stared after him, eyes wide. Who the hell was Bran then, if even a Worm living in the walls of the Labyrinth knew his name? And was also terrified to bits over it? And what the hell did he mean by 'little raven'? Sarah sighed at all the unanswered questions that ran through her mind, still staring at the sky.

"Sarah." said that damn British lit voiced.

Sarah looked up to the Goblin King, blinking. All of her questions ran to her tongue, before they stilled, and she frowned at him.

"Goblin King." she said as steadily as she could from the ground, dipping her head slightly.

"Why are you on the ground?" he asked, echoing the Worm.

Sarah shrugged.

"I fell."she said for the second time, rolling her eyes.

The Goblin King gave her an disbelieving glance.

"Why didn't you get up?" he asked, crouching down on his haunches.

Sarah snorted, trying again to get up. Her muscles trembled and screamed in protest, before she feel straight onto her back. She gave what seemed to be an amuse looking Goblin King a glare. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that she was having what seemed to be a completely pleasant conversation, with no threats on his part, nor trembling and terrified boasts on her part. What a change from two years ago!

"Because I _**can't**_." she answered pointedly.

The Goblin King gave her a level stare for an endless moment with his strange eyes narrowed and his thin lips pursed. Looking at him now, Sarah saw the differences between him and Bran quite clearly. There was something... More carefree in Bran's air and stance. There was something in his face that was too arrogant and smug. The Goblin King had a similar air, there was no doubt about that, but something about him held a sort of quieter tone, his gaunt face was somehow softer than Bran's. And dare she think it... Sadder...

With that thought, the Goblin King pounced. With a speed that blurred, Sarah was suddenly quite a few feet off the ground, and in the arms of a very smug monarch.

"What the hell?!" she asked, breathless.

He laughed. He genially laughed at her.

"Sarah, since you can't move, I'll move you. Come, let's get you someplace where you can speak more at peace, and see what this recent kidnapping is all about."snorted the Goblin King, walking along at a even pace.

Too tired to protest, Sarah felt her eyelids droop alarming fast. Her last thought within the confines of the Goblin King's arms, was for such a wiry person, he was very strong.


End file.
